Asia, India—Garhwal, Kedarnath South Face

Climbs And Expeditions

Climb Year:

Publication Year: 1989

Kedarnath South Face. Domenico Chindamo, Romano Corti, Mauro Farina, Lorenzo Sala, Felice Vassena, GianBattista Villa and I attacked a climb which had been unsuccessfully attempted by Japanese in 1981 and 1987. The route rises 2400 meters on the south side of Kedarnath. The bottom part from Advance Base at 4500 meters to Camp I at 5200 meters ascended a steep glacier to the plateau at the foot of the upper wall. We spent from August 14 to 29 to climb this section, hindered by bad weather. The wall is divided into three sections: Triangular Rock, Middle Rock Wall and Upper Rock Wall. There were major problems on the Triangular Rock, where we had rock of up to UIAA V in difficulty with one section of artificial aid. Fixing rope to 6000 meters, we climbed this section from August 30 to September 3, placing a camp at 5700 meters. There was ice up to 75° and mixed climbing on the Middle Wall. Six of us had a frigid bivouac at 6600 meters. The next morning, September 6, only Villa, Sala and Chindamo continued on to the summit (6940 meters, 22,770 feet). Because we had already spent so much time, rather than climbing straight up the Upper Rock Wall they traversed left to reach the snow ridge at the left of the face, where they had ice of 40° to 70° and rock of IV. Vassena had had to give up at 5200 meters because of respiratory troubles. We were at Base Camp or above for 25 days.

Gian Maria Mandelli, Club Alpino Italiano

Asia, India—Garhwal, Kedarnath South Face

Kedarnath South Face. Domenico Chindamo, Romano Corti, Mauro Farina, Lorenzo Sala, Felice Vassena, GianBattista Villa and I attacked a climb which had been unsuccessfully attempted by Japanese in 1981 and 1987. The route rises 2400 meters on the south side of Kedarnath. The bottom part from Advance Base at 4500 meters to Camp I at 5200 meters ascended a steep glacier to the plateau at the foot of the upper wall. We spent from August 14 to 29 to climb this section, hindered by bad weather. The wall is divided into three sections: Triangular Rock, Middle Rock Wall and Upper Rock Wall. There were major problems on the Triangular Rock, where we had rock of up to UIAA V in difficulty with one section of artificial aid. Fixing rope to 6000 meters, we climbed this section from August 30 to September 3, placing a camp at 5700 meters. There was ice up to 75° and mixed climbing on the Middle Wall. Six of us had a frigid bivouac at 6600 meters. The next morning, September 6, only Villa, Sala and Chindamo continued on to the summit (6940 meters, 22,770 feet). Because we had already spent so much time, rather than climbing straight up the Upper Rock Wall they traversed left to reach the snow ridge at the left of the face, where they had ice of 40° to 70° and rock of IV. Vassena had had to give up at 5200 meters because of respiratory troubles. We were at Base Camp or above for 25 days.

Gian Maria Mandelli, Club Alpino Italiano

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